Read Online Tremble in the Dark: A Gwen Farris Novel by P. S. Power - Free Book Online

always looked down on his son and heir, because he
wasn't magical enough. Over the years that had to wear away any real family
feeling that a child was supposed to have for a parent, Gwen supposed. She
didn't really know, but was her own situation all that different? The Farris's
had turned out not to be her real parents at all, just some people paid a lot
of money to watch the deformed and crippled girl like they were. They'd never
mentioned anything about her not being theirs, but they'd pulled back, after a
while.
    Probably
about the time the money had run out.
    As
it stood, she doubted that anyone in her old world would have even found her
body yet. She didn't go outside very often and owned her little house. The
power would be off, but there was no landlord to come and see why she hadn't
paid her rent. Her "parents" might send a card, twice a year or so,
but they didn't call very often, and she was known for dodging calls. It could
be years before anyone figured it all out.
    Even
then, it would probably just look like she'd gone to sleep one night and her
deformities had finally killed her. Maybe it was for the best? She'd lived her
life largely alone, and died that way. Now she had a new life, and even
prospects that were sort of amazing.
    Like
learning to break curses.
    That
should be fun. She was lying to herself, actually, and fighting a physical
convulsion, just from imagining the pain that was coming. It took a lot to
force a smile, but she did it gamely enough, and touched Christophe on the arm.
It was enough that he flushed a bit. People here took a lot of things that were
pretty innocent as being flirtatious.
    Then,
the man had just asked her to marry him. It seemed about right to her.
    "We
need to go. I'll try to stay in touch, like I said."
    "I,
as well. Until we meet again, Miss Farris?"
    "Until
then."
    It
was very formal, but she thought she got it about right. She hoped so anyway.
This was her first on and off again relationship, after all. The news that he'd
actually broken up with her because he thought she wouldn't want to see him was
interesting, but overall, she'd never held any hard feelings at all toward him.
It still might not work out, but it was worth trying. Provided this death curse
thing didn't kill her.
    Beth
had seemed pretty confident though, so Gwen tried not to think about it and to
just keep walking beside the woman, after saying her goodbyes. Once they got to
the lawn she pressed the top of her Teletransport sphere and walked forward
again, with her friend simply being there about ten seconds later.
    They
walked into Park Street without knocking, since they lived there, and Beth
sighed at her, with a very odd look on her face.
    "I
should have seen that one coming. It makes perfect sense, really. Duke Aubry is
a little low on the marriage scale, but a Duke, none the less. For your part
you're the woman from another world, which really does mean that most people
will have to give you much greater allowance than they would anyone else. It's
a good match that way. I'm sure that Ethyl will be most pleased to hear about
it. It might even take the sting out of the whole death curse. That silly
little monster, cursing a person like that in anger. She could get the death
penalty for that, even if you don't die." The tone was far too casual and
without worry for Beth to think that last bit was the plan. A little hesitant,
maybe?
    Gwen
nodded.
    It
was probably the truth, all the way around. It was a good thing. She nearly
blushed again, but thought she managed to prevent that. Katherine's looks were
fair, so it really showed when that happened.
    "Great
idea, telling everyone, well, let's do that first then? Then recharge the
crystal packs in the spheres and all that? I'm betting that I won't really feel
like doing it in the morning." Not that she knew that, but her friend
seemed to agree. It wasn't a great sign.
    "I
need to connect with Central and have some people brought in. We do need to get
to